28 Oct 2008

Firms accused of poor email management

More businesses might consider switching to managed email applications after a study highlighted how poorly many workers store data and maintain their email accounts.

A study of 260 firms by archiving specialist GFT found that more than 75 per cent of employees have received no education about the importance of managing their emails effectively.

GFT noted that many small businesses are wasting storage and putting their security at an increased risk through poor email management.

Some 41 per cent of workers leave large files attached to their emails, straining their servers, the survey showed.

Just half of employees' email accounts are managed by an efficient storage limit.

GFT chief executive Juergen Oberman said: "These results suggest that organisations are still taking a lax approach to the storage of information and the management of email."

The number of firms that will adopt hosted email applications is set to increase by about 40 per cent over the next four years, according to a recent study by the Radicati Group.